A customer opens the box and finds something they didn't order. The mistake is yours, so the fix has to be quick and cost them nothing. This guide walks through what to check, what to offer, what to do about the item they received, and how to stop it happening again.
Confirm what happened
Before you reply, look at the order. Compare what the customer says arrived with the line items, the variant and the packing record. Ask for one photo of the item and its label if the message isn't clear. A photo settles most cases and shows you where the error came from.
Reply with the fix, not a question
The customer wants to know two things: that you believe them, and what happens next. Say both in your opening lines. Keep the apology to one sentence and spend the rest of the message on the solution.
- Acknowledge: Name the item they ordered and the item they received
- Own it: Say it was your mistake
- State the fix: What you are sending or refunding, and when
- Say what to do with the wrong item: Keep it, or return it with a label you provide
Choose the resolution
Most customers still want what they ordered. Offer the replacement as the default and a refund as the alternative. Check stock before you promise anything.
| Situation | Resolution |
|---|---|
| Correct item in stock | Ship the correct item at no charge |
| Correct item out of stock | Offer a refund, or a wait with a clear date |
| Customer no longer wants it | Refund in full |
Decide what happens to the wrong item
Asking a customer to fix your mistake by driving to a drop-off point is a poor trade for a low-value item. Weigh the cost of a return label and restocking against what the item is worth. If you do want it back, pay for the label and make the steps short.
- ✅ Let them keep it when the label costs more than the item is worth to you
- ✅ Send a prepaid label when the item is valuable and resellable
- ❌ Don't make the replacement wait for the return to arrive
- ❌ Don't charge the customer for return shipping on your error
One Shopify detail matters here. Shopify's help center says you can refund an order without creating a return, but you can't create a return after a refund has been issued. If you want the item back and plan to refund, create the return before you refund.
Fix the cause
Every wrong-item ticket points at a step in your packing process. Record what was ordered and what was sent, then look for a pattern across a few weeks.
- Similar SKUs stored side by side: Separate them or relabel the bins
- Variants that look alike: Add the size or color to the bin label and the packing slip
- One packer or one shift: Add a scan or a second check before sealing
Doing this at scale
Reclaim triages each support ticket by intent, sentiment and urgency, and drafts a reply grounded in the real order, tracking and refund history. Refunds outside your policy are escalated to a human. Today it builds its queue from recent orders and does not connect to a helpdesk or inbox. See Reclaim.